| Orchesella villosa (Geoffroy, 1762) |
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Scientific name: Orchesella villosa (Geoffroy, 1762) Common name: French name: Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Collembola Order: Entomobryomorpha Family: Entomobryidae Size: 4 to 5 mm. Habitat: Damp and shady habitats, under stones or logs, among the litter. Food: Detritivorous, remains of plants. Reproduction: Males deposit spermatophores (small capsules containing spermatozoa and attached to the substrate by a small peduncle) which are then collected by the females. Geographic area: Holarctic region. |
Springtails of the Entomobryomorpha order show a thin and elongated body with segments of different sizes. Springtails of the Symphypleona order are round-shaped, almost spherical. Those of the Poduromorpha order show an oval body, with rounded segments which are all of similar size. There are five abdominal segments. The fourth segment is the longer one on springtails of the Entomobryidae family. The third one is longer on springtails of the Tomoceridae family. Orchesella villosa has a yellowish to brownish coloured body with strong, conspicuous dark hairiness. The long antennae, made up of six segments of unequal length, are dark in colour next to the base. The body is marked with dark brown stripes, longitudinal on the thorax and transverse and curved on the abdomen at the rear. There is a broad dark band between the eyes. Among the related species, Orchesella cincta can be recognized by the presence of a "white belt" on the abdomen, obtained by contrast between the dark base of segment 3 and the light apex of segment 2. Orchesella flavescens has dark longitudinal stripes that extend to the back of the abdomen. Orchesella quinquefasciata has five dark longitudinal stripes extending from the thorax to the third segment of the abdomen. |
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The general appearance and the longitudinal stripes of the thorax which do not extend over the abdomen lead to Orchesella villosa. |
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Upper side view. |
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Same place as one year ago, same period of the year, so same observed species. |
André Bon January 2025